Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2013-140010 (PTD 1) discloses a refrigeration apparatus including a compressor, a heat radiator (condenser), an electric valve (expansion valve), and an evaporator. This refrigeration apparatus further includes a crankcase heater configured to heat a lubricating oil in the compressor, and a control device configured to control the crankcase heater. The control device controls the crankcase heater such that an oil temperature of the lubricating oil in the compressor reaches an oil temperature target value obtained by adding a prescribed temperature to a saturation temperature of refrigerant in the compressor, while the compressor remains stopped. The prescribed temperature is set such that an oil concentration or oil viscosity at the tune of dissolution equilibrium with respect to a pressure of the refrigerant falls within a prescribed set range.
According to this refrigeration apparatus, an appropriate oil concentration or oil viscosity of the lubricating oil in the compressor can be maintained easily and the standby power can be reduced (refer to PTD 1).